[BITList] France and the Hangman

[fredmno at aol.com]

Salaams,
??????????? on the French yet again, funny old race! I'm surprised at the Frenchies use of the hangman or gallows to denote both happiness and discontent. As you know the guillotine was introduced as a form of execution in France during the eighteenth century, it replaced the wheel and in some cases decapitation by sword for the rich and hanging for the poor, moral there somewhere. Anyway the last time the wheel was used the crowd became so incensed they beat six colour's out of the executioner and released the prisoner, because of the cruelty no doubt.I now move on to today and the use of the gallows having already pointed out there should be no collective memory in France of the hanged man etc.
? ? ? ? ? ?? When French farmers are revolting, more so than normal, they use the hanged man as an expression of their belief that their government is screwing them, when a dispute is in process they are seen every few kilometers along the main roads. And yet they are used after the wedding ceremony on the back of the bridal car, I realise by implication its pointing a sythe at the groom but it is a wedding after all. When they leave the church a procession of cars leave in column, no other drivers break this column and it proceeds to the place of? vin d'honneur to the continued blaring of everyones car horns, believe me it is a racket, all other cars not involved in the actual ceremony beep along in harmony, good ere in it!
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? BR Fred? ? 
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